The thinner blue line

MASSIVE cuts in policing in Greater Manchester have been outlined after finance bosses agreed to keep the police share of the council tax bill to a minimum. The cuts will include the cancellation of plans to recruit 360 police officers.

MASSIVE cuts in policing in Greater Manchester have been outlined after finance bosses agreed to keep the police share of the council tax bill to a minimum.

The cuts will include the cancellation of plans to recruit 360 police officers, 100 police community support officers and between 95 and 175 support staff.

They will also mean between 50 and 75 staff will not be replaced.

Even plans to buy boots for operational officers and new police helmets will have to be scrapped along with structural work on police stations. Community-based police posts will also have to go.

Chief Constable Michael Todd said last year that he needed 39 per cent extra from the taxpayer to help foot the bill for continuing to improve policing, with the increased threats from gun crime and terrorism.

He wanted the average band D property bill for policing to go up from £91.65 to £127.47. But last month local council bosses refused to agree the hike and said they would only be prepared to allow the police share of the council tax bill to go up to £98.52 - a rise of 7.5 per cent.

A meeting of the Greater Manchester Police Authority - which decides the police budget - voted 14 to three to go with the local council leaders, backing the 7.5 per cent rise.

Disappointing

The figure was the lowest of three options with the highest at 12.4 per cent.

Following the decision, a statement from Mr Todd was read to the meeting, saying: "Members will not be surprised that I find this budget settlement deeply disappointing and I am concerned about what this means for the policing of Greater Manchester.

"I had hoped that in this budget we would be able to make some further moves forward in addressing the historic under-resourcing of GMP. Instead it looks likely that we will drop even further behind forces both regionally and nationally and have one of the lowest precepts in the country.

"This is particularly disappointing when we have made such radical changes to GMP in refocusing and modernising the organisation and have improved performance dramatically."

He said he would ensure the police continued to work to reduce and detect crime, but added: "However, this settlement does have serious and far reaching implications for us all. There will be some things we cannot do as a result."

Members of the police authority said they were reluctant to agree the smallest increase. But many said they felt the burden of funding should rest with the government, not the council tax payer.